It was a big weekend of NFL for me, and I’m going to look to build on that momentum here. It wasn’t like I didn’t follow NBA, though, because I have more season-long teams than I’d like to admit. The Sunday card was ugly from an NBA standpoint, but it has us ready for a big slate here.

After just four games on Sunday, we have a full nine-game card here. That’s the perfect amount for lineup building, and there’s a great mixture of studs and value plays. The superstars are the ones that really stand out, though, with many of them finding their way into the core plays and cash game sections. With that in mind, let’s kick things off with the odds and the schedule!

Check out today’s NBA Layup from FanDuel

Schedule and Odds

• SAS at IND (IND -2.5) O/U: 221
• POR at PHI (PHI -6) O/U: 220
• CLE at CHA (CHA -4) O/U: 218
• WAS at ATL (ATL -5.5) O/U: 222
• CHI at BOS (BOS -2.5) O/U: 215
• TOR at NYK (NYK -6.5) O/U: 211.5
• ORL at MIN (MIN -9) O/U: 216
• DEN at MEM (MEM -1.5) O/U: 216
• OKC at LAC (LAC -11) O/U: 213

Injury Report

• Malcolm Brogdon (Hamstring) Questionable
• Ben Simmons (Personal) OUT
• Jamal Murray (Knee) OUT
• Caris LeVert (Management) Questionable
• Kawhi Leonard (Knee) OUT
• Pascal Siakam (Shoulder) OUT
• Dillon Brooks (Hand) OUT

Core Plays

Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $11,000 DraftKings, $11,200 FanDuel
The Joker earned himself an MVP last season, and he looks well on his way to more votes this year. He led the NBA with 60 DraftKings points per game in his MVP campaign and is right on par with a 56-point average this year. The big man has actually scored at least 43 fantasy points in all six games, and that’s the definition of what we want from one of our core plays.

Paul George (SF – LAC): $10,700 DraftKings, $10,100 FanDuel
PG13 knows he needs to be the man without Kawhi Leonard. With him off the floor last season, George averaged nearly 1.4 DK points per minute while posting a usage rate north of 35 percent. That’s pretty much the guy we’ve seen this year, with PG averaging 51.4 DK points per game.

Joel Embiid (C – PHI): $10,300 DraftKings, $9,700 FanDuel
Embiid has had a “down” year by his lofty standards, but it’s just a matter of time before he returns to the MVP candidate we saw last season. What’s held him back are his minutes, but a 43-point average in fewer than 30 minutes a night is truly absurd. We love that with Portland ranked 29th in total defense last season.

Cash Game Considerations

Julius Randle (PF/C – NYK): $9,700 DraftKings, $9,500 FanDuel
It’s strange that Randle has remained below $10K all season. This dude is leading the Knicks with a 30 percent usage rate and is regularly taking up the ball. That makes him the de facto point guard, which is amazing since he’s averaging 20.8 points, 11.2 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game.

T.J. McConnell (PG – IND): $4,800 DraftKings, $5,300 FanDuel
McConnell has been starting for Malcolm Brogdon, and as long as he does that, he should be universally used. In the 16 games Brogdon sat last season, T.J averaged nearly 40 DK points per game. That’s hard to fathom from a $5K player, and it’ll make him one of the most used players on this slate.

Clint Capela (C – ATL): $7,400 DraftKings, $6,400 FanDuel
Capela has been struggling this season, but it’s hard to overlook his floor with the double-double potential. He picked up a double-double in nearly every game last season, leading the NBA with 15 rebounds per game. That seems like a strong possibility here, with Washington ranked 28th in total defense and first in pace last season. In their three meetings last year, Cap averaged 43 DK points per game against these Wizards.

GPP Targets

Collin Sexton (PG/SG – CLE): $5,900 DraftKings, $6,400 FanDuel
We’ve mentioned a lot of struggling players so far, and Sexton is definitely one of them. That’s why we like him, though, dropping him to a price tag that we simply can’t believe. Sexton sat around $8K for most of last season thanks to a 40-point average, and it’s just a matter of time before he returns to that level. Facing a 16th-ranked Charlotte team is a good way to get him rolling.

Robert Covington (PF/C – POR): $4,400 DraftKings, $4,400 FanDuel
RoCo has not provided much in terms of fantasy value, but someone with this ability should not be $4,400. Covington has been a 30-point player in the past, and he’s still getting the 30 minutes he needs to reach that. If he hits a few threes, grabs some boards, and swipes some steals, RoCo should provide the 20-25 fantasy points we need for him to be one of the values of the day.

Will Barton (SG/SF – DEN): $5,700 DraftKings, $5,900 FanDuel
It’s weird that Barton remains below $6,000 on both sites. Will the Thrill is averaging 15.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per game en route to a 30-point average. That’s superb from a sub-$6K player, and it’s clear that he’s doing a lot of the ball-handling in the absence of Murray. Not to mention, Memphis owns a 23rd OPRK against opposing small forwards this season as well.

Value Plays – under $6K

Mitchell Robinson (C – NYK): $5,000 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel
Robinson is finally getting the 30-minute role we’ve been waiting for! This dude averaged nearly 1.3 DK points per minute before this season, and it’s strange to see him at just 24 DK points per game in this expanded role. That’s still plenty at this price, and he’s one of the few sub-$6K players that has legitimate 50-point upside.

Matisse Thybulle (SF – PHI): $3,700 DraftKings, $4,400 FanDuel
This is the riskiest play in this article. The reason we want to ride Thybulle today is the matchup, though. Portland throws out two elite guards in Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, which could force Thybulle into a 30-minute role to guard both of them. If that’s the case, Thybulle should easily provide value at this price with his 18-point average across 21 minutes a night.

Monte Morris (PG – DEN): $4,400 DraftKings, $4,700 FanDuel
This is another price tag that I don’t understand. Monte has been starting at point guard in the absence of Murray, dropping 28 DraftKings points in two of his last three games. That’s a brilliant total from someone this cheap, especially with Memphis surrendering the most fantasy points in the NBA to opposing point guards.

Advantageous Pricing

• Clint Capela (C – ATL): $7,400 DraftKings, $6,400 FanDuel
  
• Damian Lillard (PG – POR): $9,600 DraftKings, $8,300 FanDuel
• R.J. Barrett (SG/SF – NYK): $7,000 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel
• Al Horford (PF/C – BOS): $6,500 DraftKings, $7,600 FanDuel
• Steven Adams (C – MEM): $4,900 DraftKings, $6,100 FanDuel

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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.